Safety razors



G. E. FORCE SAFETY RAZORS Aug. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1952 INVENTOR Geziald 1 Force BY M/MT,

ATTORNEYS Aug. 16, 1955 G. E. FORCE 2,715,267

SAFETY RAZORS Filed Aug. 26, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT( )R Gez aldi. Force M, (gum- 4%nku ATTORNEH United States Patent Ofiice 2,?l5,.27 atented Aug. 16, 1955 SAFETY RAZORS Gerald E. Force, Washington, D. C. Application August 26, 1952, Serial No. 366,370

5 Claims. (Cl. 39-59) The present invention provides certain improvements in a safety razor construction employing dual or tandem blades for accelerating the obtaining of close shaves with a minimum of time, a once-over shaving operation producing results equivalent to a plurality of such operations while at the same time reducing to the minimum any likelihood of nicking or cutting the skin being shaved.

One object of the invention may be said to provide a razor including a plurality of blades with improved means for maintaining the blades in such assembled relation to assure a quick and close shave in a relatively short period of time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a razor or" the indicated character wherein a plurality of blades are supported in working position in a manner to allow all of the blades to have shaving contact with the face at the same time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a razor of the indicated type which enables ready insertion and removal of the blades for replacement of the blades as they become dulled in service, without requiring separation or displacement of parts of the razor assembly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for firmly and protectively retaining the blade in operative position without requiring manipulation of any parts of the razor assembly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and simplified locking means for securing the parts of the blade holder and blades in operative relation while by a simple manipulation enabling the elements of the blade holder to be separated to provide convenient access to the interior of the holder for cleaning purposes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination between the razor assembly and a magazine-type loading device containing a plurality of blades, whereby worn or dull blades may be expelled from the holder and replaced by new blades without requiring separation or displacement of any elements of the blade holder.

A still further object of the invention may be said to provide a separate razor and a separate magazine or loading device which, however, have co-acting parts for not only positioning the parts for the loading operation, but which parts operate to enable the blades to be fed easily and smoothly into the razor without separating or enlarging the blade channels of the razor and at the same time insuring that the cutting edges of the blades will travel free and that each blade will be received in its respective channel and automatically clamped therein against accidental displacement.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of novelty will be defined in particularity in the appended claims.

It may be pointed out that the present improved razor specifically receives two blades of equal dimensions and which are positioned to act in concert, the so-called secondary blade cutting off whatever remains of the beard after the first blade has cut through it. The resultant acnel by a forward movement of a handle. The structure of the present improved razor difiers from the previous types of razor because of the requirement that it receives and holds two blades instead of one, this being a feature that requires a restriction in the size of the razor to avoid cumbersomeness and to put a limit on Weight. This is achieved by structural features which at the same time require coordinating the operative positions of the blades with each other as well as their joint positions in relation to the injection mechanism for the blades.

More specifically, in the present construction the blade is held in position by a doubly bent or bowed spring which engages a slotted blade one bend at a time, the purposes of the double bend being to give immediate engagement of the razor blade upon its entering its channel in order to keep the blade being injected in a true course until it is engaged by the entire spring. This spring also maintains the ejected blade in a true course on its way out to discharge. The spring performs the function of holding the blade secure and in place. The spring is fastened at the portal end and is allowed free depression action within the channel provided for it.

In the present construction both openings that receive the tongue of the blade-inserting magazine are curved and there is no enlargement of the blade-receiving channels during insertion or removal of the blades. A retaining and locking ring holds the two blade-receiving members at the front and back of a center stafi, into closed and open positions, controlling them at each end of a partial depressed are formed in said locking ring for the introduction of a brush for cleaning purpose. Said depressed arc portion in the retaining and locking ring is notched in its center for holding the two free members of the razor in normal position, moving the ring to the right releasing its hold.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which Fig. 1 is a three-quarter front perspective view of the entire razor, the lower part of the handle not being shown.

Fig. 2 is a three-quarter rear perspective view of the entire razor, the handle not being shown.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the two blade-holding elements, shown by dash-dot lines in their open or outermost positions.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view of the front or inner blade-holding element and the intermediate supporting member with the hack blade-holding element removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental perspective view of a portion of the front or inner-blade-holding member, showing a razor blade partially inserted and also the razor blade spring guide member.

Fig. 6 is a three-quarter front perspective view of the razor and the razor injecting magazine in position for the insertion of a blade in the outer or rear blade-holding element.

Fig. 7 is a three-quarter rear perspective of the inner or front blade-holding member.

Fig. 8 is a three-quarter rear perspective of the central or main supporting portion of the two blade-holding elements.

Fig. 9 is a three-quarter front perspective of the razor (in dash-dot lines) and the razor blade magazine showing the tongue of the magazine partially inserted in the rear blade-holding element channel.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved razorconstruction of the present invention is shown as comprising a razor assembly A having a handle element B, and receiving single-edged blades from a blade-dispensing magazine C, which, as will become apparent as the description proceeds, is designed specifically for use with the razor.

The razor itself comprises a series of cooperating blade clamping elements, each of which is composed of three sections, namely a fiat blade-receiving section, a rounded or curved rear section, and a flat locking section, the blade clamping elements presenting their bladereceiving and securing sections at an acute angle to the surface being shaved, this angle in practice, being approximately 45 In the drawings, three cooperating blade-clamping elements are shownthere being an outer or rear member, an inner or front member, and an intermediate member, these members clamping between them a pair of single-edge shaving blades which operate in tandem, during shaving, each shaving stroke thereby producing the effect of two strokes. From the drawings, it will be seen that one blade, i. e., the outer or rear blade, is held between the outer blade-receiving section 1 and the intermediate blade-receiving section 2, the second blade being held between the intermediate or middleblade receiving section 2, and the inner or front bladereceiving section 3, the outer or rear blade being indicated as 4 and the inner or front blade is indicated as 5. These blades are identical in size and shape, and act simultaneously on the face being shaved, producing the equivalent of two strokes for each single shaving stroke of the razor. It will be seen from the drawings that the lengths of the blade-receiving sections 1, 2, and 3 progressively increase so that the inner blade 5 has its cutting edge in advance of the cutting edge of the outer blade 4.

Each of the blade-receiving elements is formed with concentrically curved rear sections 6, 7, and 8, respectively, which define between them the channels 9 and 10. In order to form thesechannels flat blade-receiving section 1 is formed with a rear substantially planar wall section 11 which forms with the curved rear outer section .6 and inwardly extending abutment shoulder 12 which engages edge 13 of a cut-out tongue position 14 of the middle curved section 7, this portion being curved on a longer are than the remainder of the section 7, this portion of 14 being eccentric with respect to the remainder of the section 7 and defines the inner side of the outer channel 9, the outer side of this outer channel 9 being the rounded section of the outer blade-clamping element.

The inner channel is defined by the middle curved section 7 of the middle blade-clamping element and the curved member 8 which is shown as being parallel with the curved section 7 and is shown as seating on lateral shoulders 15 on the inner or front blade-clamping eleinent 3, which also is provided with a curved rear section 16 which completes the inner wall or the inner channel 10. This channel 10 is maintained the same as channel 9 by engagement of an inwardly projecting shoulder 17 which engages the curved rear section of the inner blade receiving section 3. It will be seen, also, from the drawings that the inner blade-receiving section 3 is provided with a slot 18 which registers with the cutting edge of the blade 5 and the leading edge of the blade-receiving section 3 is turned to form a guard 19 forprotecting the skin being shaved from being cut by the blades 5.

In order to secure the blades in proper shaving position for shaving and to prevent the possibility of accidental slipping of the blades during use, yieldable, resilient blade-holding devices are mounted in the bladereceiving sections 2 and 3 for yieldably bearing, against the blades 4 and 5. These blade-holding devices preferably are leaf springs, one of which is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. From Fig. 5 it will be seen that in addition to the slot 18 which is positioned adjacent to the rounded guard 19 of the blade-receiving section 3, there is provided a second slot 20 which is parallel to the slot 18 and is spaced behind the said slot 18. In this slot 20 there is mounted an elongated leaf spring 21 which is secured in place by a pin 22. The spring 21 is formed with a pair of similarly bowed cam surfaces 23 and 24, which form a double hump, over which the blade 5 rides during its insertion, depressing the spring 21 flush with the under surface of the bladereceiving section 3 until the blade is inserted completely. It will be seen from Fig. 5 that the blade 5 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 25 which registers with the spring 21 so that when the insertion of the blade has been completed, the spring 21 snaps outwardly with the cam surfaces 23 and 24 entering this slot 25, thereby preventing any chance of the blade slipping during use. When the blade 5 is to be replaced with a new blade, a displacing force applied to an end 'of the blade will cause the blade to ride over the cam surfaces 23 and 24 depressing the spring and enabling the blade to be ejected.

Obviously similar receiving means are provided for the other blade 4. A second spring, entirely similar to this spring 21, is mounted on the middle blade-re-.

ceiving section 2 for engagement with the blade 4. The securing springs are mounted in place and are proportioned with respect to the height of their cam surfaces (for example 23 and 24) and the thickness of the blades 4 and 5 so that the cam surfaces of the springs will not project substantially above the top of the blade slots which receive the springs so that the blades will present an even surface to the contiguous blade-receiving sections so that the parts of the razor may be assembled tightly with theblades 4 and 5 closely received and secured between the sections 1, 2, and 3.

It will be seen that the three blade-clamping elements are generally similar in shape and when assembled the flat section of the middle element is sandwiched between the flat sections of the outer and inner blade-clamping elements. Thus, the rear flat section 26 of the middle blade-clamping element is tightly sandwiched between and interlocked with the corresponding'flat sections 27 and 28 of the outer or rear, and inner or front, bladeclamping elements when the razor is assembled in operative relation. In order to facilitate the proper operative assembling and interlocking of the three bladeclamping elements, the flat portion 26 has punched therefrom oppositely directed guide lugs such as are indicated at 29 and 30 which are directed outwardly and 31 and 32 which are directed inwardly. The rear flat section 27 of the outer or rear blade-clamping element is provided with shoulders 33 and 34 which register with and seat on the outwardly directed lugs 29 and 30, which support the section 27 of the rear element and the fiat section 28 of the inner or front blade-clamping element provided with shoulders 35 and 36 which seat on the aforesaid inwardly directed lugs 31 and 32.

The three blade-clamping elements are interlocked in operative position by the provision of a split-locking ring 37, the ends of which are held by a rivet'38 which is inserted through a hole 39 provided therefor in the end of the flat section 26 of the middle blade-clamping element. The locking ring 37 is shown as being .a flat annulus which passes through slots 39, 40 .and 41, which are provided in the respective fiat sections of the bladeclamping elements, and which are in registry, one with another. The locking ring 37 is provided with an arcuate portion 42 which is of a shorter radius than the remainder of the ring 37, but which is concentric therewith, this arcuate portion 42 defining abutment shoulders 43 and 44 and with a locking notch 45, which tightly engages and clamps, when inserted therein, the three blade-clamping elements in operative blade-clamping relation. The ends of the locking ring 37 are pivoted on the rivet 39 and the slots 39, 40, and 41 are long enough to enable the locking ring 37 to be rotated around the rivet pin 38 for enabling the notch 45 to be disengaged from its interlocking relation with the blade-clamping elements so as to enable said elements to be separated as shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 3 with the outer or rear blade-clamping element engaging the abutment shoulder 44 of the locking ring 37 and the inner or front blade-clamping element engaging the abutment shoulder 43, this separation of the blade-clamping elements enabling convenient cleaning of the razor following each use thereof, or as desired. The fiat section 26 of the middle blade-clamping element is continued into the handle element B for the razor.

The blades 4 and 5 are inserted between the bladereceiving sections 1, 2, and 3 from a blade-holding magazine C by injection means including a sliding bladetransfer member 46 mounted on the magazine C and arranged to push the blades from the magazine C and between the blade-receiving sections of the razor. This magazine C is adapted specifically for use with the improved razor of the present invention. Thus, the magazine C is provided with a guide tongue 47 which is received in the curved channels 9 and 10 successively, this guide tongue 47 being curved concentrically with the curvature of the channels 9 and 10.

The insertion of the guide tongue 47 does not change the shape or dimensions of the channels 9 and 10, nor does it spread the blade-receiving spaces between the blade-receiving sections 1, 2, and 3 as is usual in the injection type of razors. The tongue 47 may be inserted in the channels 9 and 10, which are only guide channels for said tongue. Actuation of the blade slide 46 in the direction of the arrow in Fig 6 propels a blade, such as blade 4 into place between the blade-receiving sections 1 and 2. Similarly, the blade 5 is inserted between the blade-receiving sections 3 and 4.

It will be seen that the blade-injection slide 46 is secured in a guide slot 48 in the blade magazine C by the slide lugs 49 and it has oppositely extending flanges 50 and 51 for facilitating the sliding of the slide 46 by the thumb and finger of the operator.

Although in practise I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment is the most eificient and practical, yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims.

1. A safety razor comprising a plurality of superposed blade-clamping elements, each of which elements comprises an approximately fiat blade-receiving section, a curved rear section, and a fiat rear section, the said elements defining blade-receiving channels between contiguous blade-receiving sections, there being an outer blade-clamping element, a middle blade-clamping element, and an inner blade-clamping element, a razor blade in each blade-receiving channel, there being an outer blade and an inner blade, the inner blade having a cutting edge projecting forwardly beyond the outer blade, the

curved rear sections of contiguous blade-clamping elements defining concentrically curved channels therebetween, the said curved channels being disposed rearwardly of the razor assembly, a clamping ring mounted on one of the fiat rear sections and extending through each of the flat rear surfaces for securing the blade-clamping elements together, locking means on the clamping ring, mounting means for the clamping ring enabling the said clamping ring and locking means to be shifted from locking position releasing position for enabling separation of the blade-clamping elements, and an operating handle for the razor assembly mounted on the middle section of the middle blade-clamping element.

2. A safety razor assembly comprising a plurality of superposed blade-clamping elements, each of which elements comprises an approximately fiat blade-receiving section, a curved rear section, and a flat rear section, the said elements defining blade-receiving channels between contiguous blade-receiving sections, there being an outer blade-clamping element, a middle blade-clamping element, and an inner blade-clamping element, a razor blade in each blade-receiving channel, these being an outer blade and an inner blade, the inner blade having a cutting edge projecting forwardly beyond the outer blade, the curved rear sections of contiguous bladeclamping elements defining concentrically curved channels therebetween, the said curved channels being disposed rearwardly of the razor assembly, a clamping ring mounted on one of the sections of the blade-clamping elements and extending through each of the fiat rear surfaces for securing the blade-clamping elements together, locking means on the clamping ring interlocking the blade-clamping elements together, mounting means for the clamping ring enabling the said clamping ring to be shifted in its position relative to the blade-clamping elements for releasing the locking means from the said clamping elements for enabling the clamping elements to become separated, and resilient cam surface bladeengaging means mounted in selected blade-receiving sections for engaging the blades in the blade-receiving channels for securing the blade against displacement during shaving.

3. A safety razor assembly comprising a plurality of superposed blade-clamping elements, each of which elements comprises an approximately flat blade-receiving section, a curved rear section, and a flat rear section, the said elements defining blade-receiving channels between contiguous blade-receiving sections, there being an outer blade-clamping element, a middle blade-clamping element, and an inner blade-clamping element, a razor blade in each blade-receiving channel, there being an outer blade and an inner blade, the inner blade having a cutting edge projecting forwardly beyond the outer blade, double camsurfaced leaf spring means mounted on the flat bladereceiving sections extending into the blade-receiving channels to lock the blades in operative positions, while being depressible to a location substantially flush with the bladereceiving channel surfaces responsively to the inserting and removing movements of the blades, the curved rear sections of contiguous blade-clamping elements defining concentrically curved channels therebetween, the said curved channels being disposed rearwardly of the razor assembly, a clamping ring mounted on one of the bladeclamping elements and extending through each of the blade-clamping elements for securing the blade-clamping elements together, locking means on the clamping ring interlocking the blade-clamping elements together, and mounting means for the clamping ring enabling the said clamping ring to be shifted in its position relative to the blade-clamping elements for releasing the locking means on the clamping ring from the said blade-clamping elements for enabling the clamping elements to become separated for cleaning.

4. A safety razor assembly comprising a plurality of superposed blade-clamping elements, each of which elements comprises an approximately flat blade-receiving section, a curved rear section, and a flat rear section, the said blade-clamping elements defining blade-receiving channels between contiguous blade-receiving sections, there being an outer blade-clamping element, a middle blade-clamping element, and an inner blade-clamping element, a razor blade in each blade-receiving channel, there being an outer blade and an inner blade, the inner blade having a cutting edge projecting forwardly beyond the outer blade, the curved rear sections of contiguous bladeclamping elements defining concentrically curved channels therebe'tween, the saidcurved channels being disposed rearwardly of the razor assembly, a clamping ring mounted on the fiat rear section of the middle blade-clamping element and having an arcuate portion extending through each of 'the flat rear surfaces of the blade-clamping elements, the said arcuate portion being concentric with the remainder of the clamping ring but having a shorter radius, the said arcuate portion thereby being retracted relative to the remainder of the clamping ring and defining therewith abutment shoulders at each end of the said arcuate portion at the juncture of the arcuate portion with the remainder of the clamping ring, locking means on the said arcuate portion engaging the rear flat sections of the blade-clamping elements for securing the said elements together in locked position, mounting means for the clamping ring enabling the said clamping ring to be shifted in its position relative to the blade-clamping elements for releasing the locking means from the blade-clamping elements for releasing the said blade-clamping elements, oppositely extending lugs projecting from the middle fiat section of the middle blade-clamping element, corresponding contiguous flat rear surfaces of the inner and outer blade-clamping elements having slots registering with and receiving the said lugs, the said outer and inner bladeclarnping element being separable from the middle bladeclamping element on the said oppositely extending lugs as hinges responsively to release of the locking means on the clamping ring, separation of the said blade-clamping elements being limited by engagement of the said separate blade-clamping elements with the abutment shoulders at the ends of the said arcuate portion of the clamping ring, the said separation of the bladeclarnping elements en abling cleaning thereof, the said elements being permanently retained assembled by the said clamping ring and the mounting means therefor.

5. A safety razor comprising a plurality of superposed blade-clamping elements, each of which elements comprises an approximately flat blade-receiving section, a curved rear section, and a flat rear section, the said elements defining blade-receiving channels between contiguous blade-receiving sections, there being an outer blade-clamping element, a middle blade-clamping element, and an inner blade-clamping element, a razor blade in each blade-receiving channel, there being an outer blade and an inner blade, the inner blade having a cutting edge projecting forwardly beyond the outer blade, the curved rear sections of contiguous blade-clamping elements defining curved channels therebetween, the said curved channels being disposed rearwardly of the razor assembly, a clamping ring mounted on one of the flat rear sections and extending through each of the flat rear surfaces for securing the blade-clamping elements together, locking means on the clamping ring, mounting means for the clamping ring enabling the said clamping ring and locking means to be shifted from locking position to releasing position for enabling separation of the blade-clamping elements, an operating handle for the razor assembly, and said rearwardly disposed curved channels being adapted to accommodate the complementally curved aligning guide tongue of a blade magazine.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,205,568 Kuhnl June 25, 1940 2,288,301 Rayburn June 30, 1942 2,340,189 Karle Ian. 25, 1944 

